A Kentucky Planned Parenthood abortion facility that was caught doing abortions without a license is claiming a lawsuit against them is politically motivated and wants it dismissed.
Gov. Matt Bevin announced the lawsuit against the Louisville, Kentucky Planned Parenthood last Thursday, alleging that the abortion facility performed 23 illegal abortions without a license, LifeNews reported. Thomas Clay, attorney for Planned Parenthood of Indiana and Kentucky, responded to the lawsuit Friday, saying he will ask a judge to dismiss the case against the Louisville abortion clinic, according to WKMS.
“It appears the governor has a personal agenda to do everything he can to thwart the operation of this abortion clinic, and that’s what this campaign appears to be,” Clay said, “It’s a personal.”
“There are a number of issues that are raised in this complaint and we intend to assert every lawful defense we can and pursue any other legal remedy that might be available,” Clay continued.
Leaders of Planned Parenthood affiliate have defended their abortion business by producing a series of emails between their lawyer and former pro-abortion Gov. Steve Beshear’s administration that they said gave them the OK to do abortions without a license.
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The Louisville abortion clinic opened in December and applied for a license to do abortions from the state; however, in late January, Bevin’s office found out that the abortion clinic began performing surgical and medical abortions without a license, LifeNews reported.
The Courier-Journal reports the abortion clinic stopped doing abortions after Bevin’s office sent a “cease and desist” order at the end of January.
According to WKMS, the state Cabinet for Health and Family Services, which filed the lawsuit, is seeking more than $900,000 in fines for the violations. According to the lawsuit, the abortion clinic illegally aborted 23 unborn babies from Dec. 3 to Jan. 28 without a license.
The suit alleges that Planned Parenthood tried to rush its abortion license application through former pro-abortion Gov. Beshear’s administration before pro-life Gov. Bevin took over. The suit also accuses Beshear’s former Inspector General Maryellen Mynear of trying to aid Planned Parenthood in a “scheme to accelerate the licensure process.”
Though the abortion group is now claiming it had permission from the state to do abortions, it had appeared to be hiding its abortion practices. Planned Parenthood spokesperson Maureen Manier told Business First that the new clinic opted to not publicize that it was doing abortions yet, but her excuse was that the facility wanted to avoid putting patients and staff at risk.
Betty Cockrum, president and CEO of the Kentucky abortion affiliate, previously said the abortion clinic opened based on women’s needs, not politics.
Women’s safety concerns are at the center of the matter. Bevin’s administration said it has not approved the abortion clinic’s license because Planned Parenthood does not have proper agreements with a local hospital and ambulance service for emergency situations, according to the report.
“Planned Parenthood should be required to pay fines in the maximum amount allowed by law in order to punish it for its callous and knowing violations of law and to deter it and others from such violations in the future,” Bevin said in a statement Thursday.
“Although I am an unapologetically pro-life individual, I recognize and accept that there are some laws on the books that I do not necessarily agree with,” Bevin continued. “However, we are a nation of laws, and my job is to ensure that they are followed regardless of my personal opinion. This administration will have no tolerance for the type of brazen disregard that Planned Parenthood has shown for both the safety of women and the rule of law. We will hold Planned Parenthood accountable for knowingly endangering their patients by providing illegal abortions at a facility that was not properly licensed nor prepared to handle an emergency.”
Kentucky Right to Life thanked Bevin for holding the abortion clinic accountable.
Officials in the prior administration entrusted with protecting the public health appear to have shirked their grave responsibilities when dealing with women’s health and innocent human lives,” said Michael Janocik, legislative agent for the pro-life group. “It appears to us that there was a rush to begin taking the lives of unborn children before the new administration was in place. Why else would the prior administration’s OIG allow Planned Parenthood of Indiana and Kentucky in Louisville to start performing abortions without an official license, or the required transfer agreements with local hospitals and ambulatory care.”
Indiana Right to Life President and CEO Mike Fichter also praised Bevin for taking action against the Kentucky abortion facility, which is under the Planned Parenthood of Indiana and Kentucky affiliate.
“If the allegations made in this suit are proved correct, Planned Parenthood should be permanently barred from doing abortions in Kentucky,” Fichter said. “We also encourage Indiana officials to exert the highest degree of scrutiny to ensure that Planned Parenthood of Indiana and Kentucky is operating within the law in our state.”
